Craft Stand CR421
14-16 January 2018 Olympia London
Design-Nation incorporating Design Factory, the UK’s premier membership portfolio for contemporary craft and design will return to Top Drawer Spring in January 2018 to showcase ten talented designer makers. Products on display will include ceramics, fashion accessories, jewellery and homeware.
Clare Edwards, Director of Design-Nation explains: “After the recent successful merger of Design-Nation and Design Factory, exhibiting at Top Drawer is the perfect way to showcase our members to a trade audience. Design Factory had a group presence in the Craft section at the show for five years and we are now excited to present a Design-Nation stand. Six of our exhibitors have previous Top Drawer experience and are planning to build upon previous successes at the show. The others are presenting their work to Top Drawer’s trade audience for the first time. All are hoping to gain new stockists for their work, or to attract commission or exhibition opportunities.”
Jeweller Amy Leigh from Leicester uses environmentally friendly materials, including eco resin and recycled silver, to produce collections that showcase her signature technique of pouring molten pewter into water. Amy is launching her new Prism Collection at the show; a bold collection embracing chunky geometric shapes. By contrast, Trevor Forrester will present a jewellery collection that includes colourful gems and high carat yellow gold, alongside the launch of his new jewellery designs using Argentium. Trevor established his first studio in 1990 and ran a successful jewellery business in the UK before relocating to New Zealand for 12 years. Trevor returned to the UK in 2016 to set up a new studio in Lincolnshire.
The Design-Nation group has five designers working in ceramics, producing a wide range of functional and sculptural works. Oxfordshire’s Harriet Elkertonproduces functional objects in slipcast porcelain, with unctuous glossy white glazed interiors and incorporating found objects. London-based Eradu Ceramicsis also returning to Top Drawer with her elegant tableware collection; slipcast minimalistic silhouettes using her signature muted grey colour palette. Welsh ceramic designer and maker Eluned Glyn uses the Modernist and Cubist movements as points of reference, evident in the new angular vase launching at Top Drawer. For her first time as a Top Drawer exhibitor Diane Griffin from Northants will present her slipcast and handbuilt vases, inspired by Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall and the letters crammed between the stones of the wall. Surface decoration and mark making are an integral part of Kate Welton’s collection of thrown functional ware, produced in her Suffolk studio and launching for the first time to a trade audience at Top Drawer.
Three designers will showcase their textile works at Top Drawer, including printed and knitted gifts and fashion and home accessories. First time exhibitor Barinder Designs from Nottingham launching a new collection of silk scarves at Top Drawer to celebrate the famous English rose grower Harry Wheatcroft. Detta Textilesproduces high-quality knitted scarves, blankets, cushions and fashion accessories on heritage framework knitting machines in her Kegworth studio. London’s Snowden Flood launched a new range of textile designs at Decorex 2017 and is now presenting a range of products using the new designs; including cushions, lampshades, pencil cases, laptop cases, napkins and washbags.
For the first time the Design-Nation stand will include a central display and seating area that will include work produced by Design-Nation members who are exhibiting at Top Drawer with individual stands. Products will be on display from Margo Selby (HOME, stand B24), Sue Pryke (HOME, stand C15) and Melanie Porter (HOME, stand K20). It wil also include new work from Linda Bloomfield who is showing at Table, the new dining experience trade event alongside Top Drawer, and which can be accssed by Top Drawer ticket holders. Linda has branched into restaurant ware recently,supplying Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa on Piccadilly amongst others. She wil show at Table with G&G Goodfellows.
As well as these talented designers, our central area also offers the chance for the design sector to get to know the new Design-Nation following the recent merger with Design Factory. Trade and design industry visitors can meet the Design-Nation team and exhibitors; designer-makers can learn more about membership and how it could benefit their businesses. A programme of scheduled slots to meet and gain valuable advice from Design-Nation’s ambassadors and design experts, including Barbara Chandler (Evening Standard) and Andrew Tanner (Sainsbury’s Home), will shortly be announced.
